ELECTRIC PLANS FOR MERCEDES IN CHINA

The future is electric for Mercedes in China
Michael Taylor, May 12, 2011 (The National of the UAE)

"Mercedes-Benz will probably move production of the GLK soft-roader to China as part of a €3 billion (Dh16.3bn) push in the next three years to make the Asian powerhouse its biggest market in the world.

"The company will invest in dealerships, production plants and even electric car and infrastructure technology in an effort to boost its Chinese sales beyond 350,000…"

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"While Benz has its own electric car programmes in Germany and has just signed a deal with Bosch to build electric drive systems, that technology will not be used by Daimler's Chinese joint-venture electric car company, BYD…

"As for the upcoming A-Class, Mercedes-Benz is so determined to wipe out its boring small-car image that it's about to launch a shotgun blast of three different models to replace its current five-door A-Class hatch."

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"With the Shanghai and New York motor show's Concept A hatchback confirmed as one of the three, Benz has gone for a swoopier style and tauter handling in an effort to attract younger buyers out of Audi's A1 and A3 and BMW's 1 Series and Mini…

"Four years in the concept and design stage already, the three-pronged approach has taken lessons from Benz's successful E-Class-to-CLS body change on the same chassis…The new strategy also gives the A- and B-Class models access to the rest of the Benz engine range for the first time…"